A-Share Intelligent Driving Stocks Surge on Mandatory Standard; Precious Metals Index Up 7.72% as Gold Tops
On August 5, A-share indices rose broadly, led by intelligent driving and precious metals. The intelligent driving sector rallied after a mandatory national standard for autonomous driving safety was approved, set to take effect in July 2027. Zhejiang Shibao hit the daily limit, with a 37.73% gain over ten sessions. The precious metals index jumped 7.72%, with London spot gold breaking $4,100 per ounce. Platinum and palladium futures rose 9.18% and 8.51%, respectively. Central bank gold purchases rebounded sharply in Q2, up over 400% quarter-on-quarter.
On August 5, major A-share indices rose collectively. By sector, semiconductors, superhard materials, and memory concepts led gains, while precious metals, consumer electronics, and automation equipment advanced strongly. Glass fiber, rubber, and plastics materials sectors performed well, while banking, baijiu, and oilfield services edged lower.
The intelligent driving sector rallied as a group. Zhejiang Shibao hit the daily limit, with over 130,000 buy orders sealed at the close, representing 213 million yuan in sealing funds, and a cumulative gain of 37.73% over the past ten trading days. VanJee Technology also hit the daily limit, along with Xingmin Zhitong, Lianchuang Electronics, and Yongxin Optical. On the news front, the mandatory national standard "Safety Requirements for Autonomous Driving Systems of Intelligent Connected Vehicles" was approved and is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2027. The standard applies to M- and N-category vehicles equipped with L3 and L4 systems, excluding automatic parking systems, establishing a unified safety access baseline for autonomous driving products.
Several listed companies disclosed their layouts on investor Q&A platforms: Zhejiang Shibao focuses on automotive steering systems and key components, positioning itself as a leading domestic supplier of intelligent driving steering systems; VanJee Technology structures its products around a "vehicle-road-cloud" integrated solution architecture; Xingmin Zhitong holds 42 authorized patents and 56 software copyrights related to intelligent driving, with intelligent driving revenue accounting for 7.31%, 9.64%, and 10.33% of total revenue over the past three years.
The precious metals sector rose broadly, with the industry index up 7.72%. Sichuan Gold hit the daily limit, Xiaocheng Technology rose 11.89%, and Zhongjin Gold and Chifeng Gold each gained over 8%. In futures markets, precious metals main contracts surged: platinum rose 9.18%, palladium rose 8.51%, and Shanghai silver and gold rose 7.08% and 3.1%, respectively, leading domestic futures gains. Overseas, London spot gold broke through $4,100 per ounce, up more than 2%, while London spot silver at one point rose over 4% intraday. The US dollar index fell about 1.6% over the past seven trading days, supporting dollar-denominated precious metals.
The World Gold Council's latest report shows gold demand reached 2,522 tonnes in the first half, up 2% year-on-year, hitting a record $380 billion. Central banks purchased 288.9 tonnes of gold in the second quarter. Purchases slowed notably in the first quarter of 2026 but rebounded in the second quarter to a relatively high level over the past four years, up more than 400% quarter-on-quarter. The report data, already released, shows central bank gold buying recovered markedly in Q2.
As of December 31, 2025, the gold mine held cumulative proven mineral resources of 161.7 tonnes of gold metal, including 78.42 tonnes of measured and indicated resources and 83.28 tonnes of inferred resources. On the capital front, since August, Zhongjin Gold, Chifeng Gold, Western Gold, and Shandong Gold have seen net margin buying, with Zhongjin Gold leading at 109 million yuan in net purchases.